The proposed bill would amend current statutes regarding the service of process in court-ordered evaluations and treatments. Under current law, individuals ordered for involuntary evaluation or treatment have the right to receive necessary documents through personal service by a peace officer, process server, or another authorized individual. The bill introduces new provisions allowing the court to authorize employees of evaluation agencies to serve these documents directly to proposed patients who are inpatients at the time the petition is filed. Additionally, it expands the list of individuals who can serve documents to include those prescribed by law or court rule, rather than limiting it to those authorized by the Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure.

Furthermore, the bill specifies that evaluation agencies may be financially responsible for serving documents if their employees are the ones performing the service. This change contrasts with the current statute, which states that evaluation agencies are not financially responsible for serving these documents. Overall, the bill aims to streamline the process of serving documents in mental health evaluations and treatments while ensuring that the rights of individuals undergoing these processes are maintained.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 36-510.01